Improvement in potato-diggers



' H. J. KINTZ.

Potat0-Diggen Patented Mar. 12, 1867.

Iqventor,

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IMPROVEMENT IN POTATO-DIGGERS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, H. J. KINTZ, of Greece, in the.county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful, Improvement in Potato-Diggers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification. I v

Figure 1 is a plan of my improved machine.

' Figure 2, aside elevation.-

Figure 3, a central vertical section. Like letters ofre'ference indicate corresponding parts in all the ,figures. j

I My invention consists in the special construction and arrangement of the scraper, having a central, elevated mould-board, with a projecting point for dividing the hills, and a concaveieach side of said mould-board for allowing a free turning of the earth and 'insuring'theminimum ofresistance to the draught,'and a projection of the vertical sides of the scraper to an extent equal or nearly so to the central point,- for producing thenecessary balance in cutting and for insuring the proper working of the implement; also, in connection with the above, in the special arrangement of the double-conical sifter and its driving-wheel, the hinged conductor, and the vine-c rers, all as hereinafter described. I v i i As represented in the drawings, A is the scraper, which is connected with the handles B by means of standards -O- and draught-arms D, as shown, This, connection insures a great degree of strength. The scraper is formed with two vertical sides, whose ends a a are brought to a point and made toproject forward at some distance, as shown in fig. 1-. 'It also has in the centre an elevated, rounded mould-board, 6, whose pointi's made to project for-ward about the same'distance as' a a,but somewhat below theirlevel. The bottom of the scraper on each side between a and b is recessed or hollowed out so as to form concaves or depressions c c, as clearly shown. This peculiar construction secures several advantages. The 'poiuted'and elevated mould-board 6 passes centrally under the hills and divfi'desthem, throwing half in one direction and half 'in the other, thus breaking the tubers from their stems and freeing them from the vines much more 'efi'ectively than it the scraper were plain.

This action of breaking them from the stems is greatly assisted by the recession'of the concaves c, which leave the space opposite the opening point'on each side free arid unobstructed so that the earth can yield. One great feature of this form of the front of'the scraper is that the mould-board, by projecting forward, cuts deep under the hills and throws them up in a double furrow, while the scraper itself, so to speak, simply slidesover the surface and catches the furrows, orcuts soshallow as to hardly impede the draught. This is. much more effective than when the full scraper cuts deep. If the scraper were plain and not provided with the mould-board the hills would be'simply scraped up on it withoutbe'ing broken, and theseparation of the potatoes from the vines would be very imperfectly accomplished; and, on the other hand, were the mould-board alone used the potatoes would be simply buried. As. it is, the point of the mould-board turns the furrow like a double-acting plough in front, while the concaves in the rear follow just in the right position to catch these furrows without acting simply as a scraper to scrape them up. The great length of'the mould-board makes it a perfect divider of thehills. he

projecting ends at a of' thc'sides of the scraper, by extending forward in about the same degree as the central point, serve as a counterbalanc to prevent the furrowsturned by 'the mould-board from being thrown beyond the scope of the machine. The vertical sides follow just opposite the point and catch the furrows. They also serve as a centrcbalance' to keep the machine steadily in place. It willbe at onceseen that the formation is such as to impede the draught as little as possible, since not only'is the mouldboard the only part that cuts deeply, but also the concaves, by setting'back, raise those portions above-the general level. The tubers being thus broken from the stems by the double-acting mould-board, and spread evenly over-the floor of the scraper, puss up over the usual curved lingers d d,'where.they are in'a gre'at'degree freed of the heavy earth. In the rear of these fingers is situated a double conical-shaped sil'teipE, made up of wires or rods e c', sccured'toheads and disks g g. The large ends of the cones are placed outward in such a'position as to catch the contents. of the scraper and work them toward the centre again. This sift'er is fixed upon an axis it made to revolve by means of a tracl'lomoog -jvlieel, G, resting upon the ground and gearing-with the rods'e e. In the rear of the. sifter is situated. a conductor, 1, hinged to the sides of the scraper insuch a position as to be turned up, as indicated by red lines in fig. 2. This conductor is provided with vertical sides 11 i for reteining the potatoes, and also with fingers 10 12, similar to d, for sifting out small stones, 8'50. 'The sides and fingers all converge baclgand in the rear the.outline is in the form of a concave, as shown at k, fig. 1, the effect being to concentrate the potatoesas they drop from the niachine'in a compact row behind- It will be perceived that the form of the double-conical Sifter E has a specific relation to the'scranergsince the rnould-board has a tendency tothrow the furrows toward thcoutside of the machine, omhwhen carriedo'ver, the contents are deposited toward the outer ends of the sifter. Theconicel form will draw thecontents toward the centre again, and thus the potatoes are passed over a, great extent of sifting surface, which frees themwery effectually from dirt. hinging the conduo tor I um enabled to turn it u'p in going into the ficldor passing an obstruction and to adjust it to any position; and by using stops to'hold it up enabled to preserve its position'at all times and to prevent its wear,

which effects could not be accomplished if it dragged upon the ground. To the frontend of the handles are, secured two bent rods I I, cxpandingbackward and outward in the formjof hooks. These, by running between the rows, divide the vines so that as they are turned by the mould-board they .pass up over the machine without being tangled. 1 r v What I claim as my invention, anddesire'to secure by Letters Patent, is V I The construction, combination, and arrangement of the scraper'A,consisting of 'the verticalsidc points a a, thecentral share 1) extending backward and upward in a semicircular ridge, with its point proiecting below the level of the side points, and the intervening shallow scoops ivith concave edges c c, and gradual upward inclination between the side and central points, operating substantially in the-manner and for the purposes herein set forth. I

'In combination with the scraper, constructed and arranged as above described, I also claim the doubleconical sifter E and its cogged driving-wheel G, operating in the manner and for the'purpose specified. I also claim the hinged, adjustable, and self-supporting conductor H, provided with the converging fingers 1) and the concave 7t, when combined and arrangedwith the double-conical sifter E in theunanrier and for the purpose set' forth. v i

I I also claim the special arrangement of the maehine QOnsiSting essentially of the scraper A, with .draughtarms D, the-Sifter E, with driving-wheel G the conductor H, end-the viue-elearers 1, operating as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

11'. J; KINTZ.

Witnesses:

R. F. Oseoon, J. O. CAMPBELL. 

